New Format With 32 Teams and a U.S. Host Nation

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will usher in a new era in international football. The competition, which began in 2000 and has steadily grown in prestige, will now include 32 teams for the first time, split into eight groups of four — mirroring the traditional World Cup format.

Unlike the previous version, which featured just seven clubs and was held annually, the new edition will take place every four years. The tournament kicks off on June 14 in Miami and wraps up on July 13 in New Jersey, where the champions will claim $1 billion USD in prize money.

Qualification, Big Absences, and Confirmed Participants

Teams qualified based on their performance over the last four seasons in their respective continental tournaments. The six federations represented are: UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, AFC, and OFC.

• UEFA will send 12 teams, including Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Inter, Atlético de Madrid, Juventus, Porto, Benfica, and Salzburg.
• CONMEBOL brings six clubs: Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, Palmeiras, River Plate, and Boca Juniors.
• AFC will be led by Al-Hilal, while CAF will be represented by Al Ahly, with four teams each.
• CONCACAF will feature five teams, as Miami hosts the tournament. Alongside Inter Miami, the region will send Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC.
• OFC has one spot, occupied by Auckland City.

Due to the two-club-per-country rule (unless all are continental champions), teams like Liverpool, Barcelona, and Napoli will miss out.

Global Superstars Set to Shine

Fans can expect an all-star showcase in the U.S., with players like Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suárez, Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Edinson Cavani, Ousmane Dembélé, Desire Doué, Julian Álvarez, Antoine Griezmann, Lautaro Martínez, Cole Palmer, Serhou Guirassy, Salem Al Dawsari, and Hussein El Shahat all expected to participate.

Fluminense will feature veteran Thiago Silva, while Palmeiras will showcase rising star Estevao, who will join Chelsea after the tournament.

Stadiums and Host Cities Across the Country

Matches will be played across 12 stadiums in the U.S., five of which are also set to host games during the 2026 World Cup: MetLife Stadium (New Jersey), Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Lumen Field (Seattle), and Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens).

• The opening match on June 14 will feature Al Ahly vs Inter Miami in Miami.
• On June 15, Palmeiras will face Porto in the first game at MetLife Stadium.
• MetLife will host nine total matches, including both semifinals and the final.

Additional host cities include Charlotte, Cincinnati, Nashville, Washington, Orlando (two stadiums), Los Angeles, and Seattle. Most of the action will take place on the East Coast.